Iron deficient anaemia is the most common nutritional deficiency in the World at present. Iron deficiency anaemia is interesting because it affects populations in both industrialised and developing nations. The sources of iron in these locations can be different, with populations in industrial nations generally obtaining iron from a mixture of meat and vegetables, whereas in developing nations, the source of iron is more biased towards vegetable sources. Iron is more bioavailable to humans from meat and this is a reflection of the form of iron contained within meat. Iron is present in meat as the reduced ferrous (Fe2+) form, whereas in vegetables iron is present as the oxidised ferric (Fe3+) form. As ferrous iron is more soluble than ferric iron, the former is more readily transported into the blood by the iron transporters in the small intestine. Eating a mainly vegetable diet, as would be common in developing nations therefore increases an individual’s risk of developing an iron deficient state.
Iron deficient anaemia is the most common nutritional deficiency Worldwide. Plant sources of iron are not as well absorbed as animal sources, and therefore those with high plant diets may be more likely to develop iron deficiency anaemia.
For this reason some consider that vegetables are a poor source of iron. However, technically this is not true, as some vegetables such as legumes contain high amounts of iron, it is just that the iron from the legumes is often not fully utilised. Lentils are a reasonable source of iron, and can provide iron to the consumer as long as iron bioavailability is maximised through correct cooking and use of concomitant foods that facilitate the reduction of the ferric iron to the ferrous form. One of the main modifiers of iron absorption is the iron status of the individual. For example, in one study researchers showed that anaemic women had increase iron absorption from a lentil meal compared to an identical meal fed to non-anaemic women. The iron absorption in the subjects was determined to be inversely proportional to the ferritin levels in the blood. Other studies have shown that concomitant consumption of animal protein or vitamin C can increase iron absorption from vegetables significantly.
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